Firearm magazines are a consumable item. A magazine has a lifespan based on the components it’s made from and how frequently it is used. This is fact. Unfortunately, my reality is that in over 25 years of shooting, I can’t remember ever throwing away a magazine that has become unreliable with age. It just strikes me as wrong to throw something away that could possibly be salvaged for spare parts at some point in the future, or even rebuilt to factory spec performance with a new spring or follower.

Some magazines, like the BX-1 magazines for Ruger 10/22 rifles, have seen a disproportionate share of my shooting attention over the years. Even with proper care and cleaning, I’ve accumulated about a dozen magazines that I’ve deemed as “unreliable” due to age and wear and relegated to the magazine bone yard. The magazines are fine if I want to use them for casual plinking where the occasional misfeed or jam is just an annoyance. These aren’t magazines I would use for competition or hunting.

In the official Instruction Manual For Ruger 10/22 Autoloading Rifles, page 29 discusses magazine inspection and care. Ruger cautions us to avoid disassembling 10/22 magazines for cleaning because an improperly assembled magazine can cause the rifle to malfunction. The TandemKross 10/22 Magazine Take Down Tool greatly simplifies the reassembly process. With proper care and attention, the tool makes it possible to detail strip, deep clean, and properly reassemble magazines with the factory specified 1¼ turns of rotor spring tension required for proper function.

I’d heard the positive feedback from others about this tool kit. The only thing left to do was order one for myself and see if it was really as easy to use as others described. I certainly had enough dirty magazines to try it out on.

Simplify the Process

In my opinion, The TandemKross 10/22 Magazine Take Down Tool wasn’t named correctly. Heck, anyone with a properly sized hex key can take down a 10/22 magazine. The real challenge comes when it’s time to reassemble the magazine and getting the proper spring tension set on the rotor. The Take Down Tool kit includes two items that greatly simplify the reassembly process.

The parts on the left were dry cleaned with cotton swabs. The three parts on the right were wet cleaned with Hoppe’s Elite Foaming Cleaner and soft nylon brush. Dust pile and used swabs were from dry cleaning. So much previously unreachable filth.

TandemKross also sells their “Double Kross” magazine body that uses all the Ruger factory magazine parts from two BX-1 magazines to create a single double-ended magazine.

After disassembling the magazine, and cleaning all the components, the reassembly jig holds the rotor in the correct position while the magazine feed lips and cap are installed. After removing the reassembly jig, the cap nut is mated with the rotor spring and set to proper tension with the included winding tool. Reassembling a magazine might take you a few minutes for the first one as you get accustomed to using the winding tool. You will get faster with the process as your experience grows. The kit definitely makes the magazine reassembly process easy.

For a modest $9.99 investment, the TandemKross 10/22 Magazine Take Down Tool has helped me recover several magazines that were previously relegated to the magazine bone yard. When you consider the going price of a new Ruger BX-1 magazine is around $19.99, the tool pays for itself very quickly. If you are a Ruger 10/22 enthusiast, it’s a great item to add to your maintenance kit. And check out some of their other interesting products, like the Double Kross double-magazine body. They make some really interesting stuff.

There is a free tutorial on the care of 10-22 magazines at Rim Fire Central, free of charge. You don’t need anything more than a hex wrench, cleaning supplies, and reasonably strong fingers to clean and reset the spring tension on the magazine. I like TK products and use them in several guns, but this kit is an unnecessary expense. Save your ducats and spend it on ammo.
Link to mag care guide, and other interesting information:http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123409

Nice Product and user video. I do not have a Ruger 10-22 to use, but have had the opportunity to fire and admirer the fine operation these rifles offer. This tool makes R&R of the Magazine’s a every one affair and should be included with the sale of any new rifle by Strum Ruger Corp. You should get your just credit and capital for your Brain work and product.